ABOUT OUR PARTNER

Charlotte is one of the 25 largest cities in the U.S. and the largest city in North Carolina. With nearly 800,000 people living and working in our community, we’re only continuing to grow! The City of Charlotte provides services to support its growing population, focusing especially on Housing & Neighborhood Development, Community Safety, Transportation, Economic Development and the Environment. And if you’re an entrepreneur looking to start or grow your business in Charlotte, look no further than the City for the resources you need. With information on codes and ordinances, permits and licenses, relocating and much, much more, the City of Charlotte is here to help your business, every step of the way.

Need a little more help? OpenCounter is a tool designed to guide entrepreneurs like you through the permitting process. Visit OpenCounter.com for everything you ever wanted to know about permitting a business in Charlotte!

Commercial and Personal PropertyIf you’re looking for information on the permits and licenses needed for commercial and personal property in Charlotte, who better to help than the City themselves!

Learn about zoning: When it comes to Charlotte’s zoning regulations, the City of Charlotte can connect you to the resources and people you need to get your questions answered!

Get a fire inspection: All new building, additions to existing buildings, renovations and upfits, and changes of use to an existing building require a fire inspection in Charlotte. Learn more about how the City of Charlotte can help make this happen, and request your inspection now!

Get assistance for land development projects: Whether you’re a citizen, a developer, or a contractor, the City of Charlotte connects you to the information you need to start a land development project in Charlotte. Access the portal here!

Food, Beverage and Special EventsCharlotte has quickly become a fun, foodie destination for many entrepreneurs. If you’re trying to join the food and beverage industry, or if you’re hoping to host a special event, the City of Charlotte
can connect you to the licensing and permitting resources you need. A few of these resources are listed below!

Get a permit for your mobile food cart: Food trucks are here to stay! If you’re hoping to join Charlotte’s thriving food truck community, make sure you have the right permits! Get information on this and more from the City of Charlotte.

Get your ABC permit: Serving alcohol? You’re going to need a permit for that! Businesses manufacturing, distributing, serving and/or selling alcoholic beverages are required to get an ABC permit. Don’t worry—the City of Charlotte can help!

Host a special event, parade, or festival: Charlotte is a great place to hold an event! Before you can officially host your event, make sure you have the right permits. Learn more about what you need and how to submit an application from
the City of Charlotte.

Taxis, Uber, and LyftIf you’re operating a vehicle for hire in Charlotte, there are specific things you need to know about licensing, inspection and operations. That includes you, Uber and Lyft drivers! Don’t fret, though. The City of Charlotte connects you to the resources you need to get your business up and running!

If you want to sell items at a special event or festival Uptown, you will need to contact the event organizer for information on how to get a permit. This type of vending is not handled by the City of Charlotte or Charlotte Center City Partners.

The City of Charlotte is committed to increasing economic mobility. Project P.I.E.C.E. was established to assist participants with career-related training and guide them into career paths, including full-time employment, pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships. Whether you’re a business or an applicant, you can learn more about Project P.I.E.C.E. here!

LOCATING

Zoning, building standards and land use issues can be very complex. For any questions you might have, the City of Charlotte offers a robust portal of answers to meet all of your zoning and rezoningneeds.

Here are a few additional resources to help you get in the zone and select a site, with the City of Charlotte:

Charlotte Revitalization Areas: For entrepreneurs in specified redevelopment areas, the City of Charlotte offers matching grants to assist with paying the costs of improving their properties. Learn more about these opportunities and other redevelopment initiatives, and find out if you’re eligible!

Open Counter: When it comes to permitting a business, OpenCounter is the best thing since sliced bread! This online tool will help you determine the permits you need, while also calculating permit requirements, fees and timelines for your project. Get started with OpenCounter!

FINANCING

Need a grant? The City of Charlotte can help with that! Their specialized grant programs are designed to help business owners with the costs of undertakings such as storefront renovations and environmental cleanup. For instance, the Business Investment Program (BIP) provides grants to companies based on the amount of property tax generated by private business investments. Additionally, Neighborhood Matching Grants are available to help local citizens improve their neighborhoods, making them better places to live, work, play and shop.

Local Lending Programs

Seeking a small business loan? The City of Charlotte offers Small Business Loan programs, administering financial assistance and helping starting businesses get off the ground and existing businesses improve their performance. Contact the City of Charlotte to learn more!

Charlotte Facade and Security Grant Program: These two programs provide matching funds for storefront architectural renovations and security improvements to eligible commercial buildings in targeted areas. For lenders, these grant funds could be considered as a ‘source of repayment’ or ‘source of funds’ for the commercial property loan requests they’re considering. Contact the City of Charlotte to learn more about how these two loan programs can help lenders!

Charlotte Community Capital Fund: The City of Charlotte’s Community Capital Fund provides lenders with a referral source for their business clients, while also helping business clients access the capital they need to start and grow a business. Contact the City of Charlotte to learn more about how the Community Capital Fund can help lenders retain client relationships!

WHY CHARLOTTE

Charlotte a great place to live and work, and the City of Charlotte is committed to making it even better. Their Economic Development Department offers a variety of programs and services, making the City available to help entrepreneurs find the tools and resources they need so start and grow a successful business!

SOCIAL MEDIA

Contact This Partner

Partnerships & Tools for Your Success

Welcome to Charlotte Business Resources.
Our goal is to connect you with the information you need to start and run a successful business.

CBRbiz.com represents a community-wide collaborative effort by a network of organizations committed to working together to save you time and money by providing relevant business resources & information.

Join us on your favorite social media network to stay current on news, information, and resources.

OUR PARTNERS

BEFCOR is a non-profit corporation providing business owners with long-term, fixed-rate financing for owner-occupied real estate and other fixed assets.

Carolina Business Capital (formerly Centralina Development Corporation) partners with banks to finance real estate and heavy equipment for small businesses across North Carolina.

CMSDCs mission is to expand business opportunities for Minority Business Enterprises.

Charlotte Business INClusion is a City of Charlotte program that seeks to increase utilization of Minority, Women and Small Business Enterprises in local contracting opportunities.

The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance is a membership, volunteer-led organization that creates competitive advantage by growing the economy, advocating pro-business public policies and delivering innovative programs and services.

We are a non-profit organization serving black-owned businesses in the Charlotte Mecklenburg region.

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library offers a wide variety of resources for businesses and non-profit organizations.

The workforce development board offers services and programs to support your business’s growth potential: customized recruiting assistance, training grants for new and incumbent workers, labor market information and more.

The City of Charlotte provides business development support through a variety of services and programs.

City Startup Labs (CSL) has a mission of reimaging of African American millennials (Black Adults 18-34 yrs.) as a new class of entrepreneurs and innovators.

The Central Piedmont Corporate Learning Center provides training and development opportunities for businesses and organizations. They offer hundreds of courses and hands-on programs, all of which can be customized to meet each entrepreneur’s needs.

The Small Business Center at CPCC provides expert assistance and valuable resources to prospective and existing small business owners and non-profit organizations.

The purpose of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte (LACCC) is to offer a sustainable bilingual platform of programs, events and services that engages, empowers and supports both Latino and non-Latino businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals.

Mecklenburg County oversees many business license and permit processes and seeks to increase participation of MWSBE firms in the business community.

The National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), Charlotte Chapter, a non-profit organization established in 1985, is a professional development organization serving the Charlotte community at large.

NAWBO Charlotte is a professional organization specifically designed to fuel the success of the 42,000 women-owned businesses in the greater Charlotte area.